Stay Curious Towards Hobbies as an Adult
You’re here, so you must be a bit curious about what hobbies you can try as an adult. Continue this curiosity as you explore different hobbies for yourself. Give yourself some grace as you navigate this part of your life. Even if you have no idea where to start, ask yourself: What brings me joy? What do I want to try?
Explore your physical abilities. There are so many activities out there that can keep you active and challenge your physicality. You don’t have to invest a ton of money into buying new gear – there’s plenty of ways to rent or buy used gear. Some solo activities/sports you could try are rock climbing, running/jogging/walking, golfing, swimming, weightlifting, etc.
Feeling curious about cooking? Make space to try out new food! Watch a cooking show for inspiration, find a new breakfast recipe to make for yourself, take yourself out for happy hour and discounted appetizers.
No matter what you try, engaging in self exploration may also help you find some peace of mind. In a world full of technology, distractions, and conflict, it can sometimes be challenging to re-center and check in with how we connect with ourselves. We invite you to take a moment, pick something you’re interested in trying by yourself, and explore. Staying curious may help you come away with self confidence, fresh personal goals, and fulfillment.
Discover Yourself
Finding hobbies as an adult can feel weird or daunting at times. You’ve lived 10, 20, 30 or more years past your days as a kid. And truth be told, a lot changes through those years. What you’re able to physically do might change. Your interests or passions may change once you live on your own. Your friend group may switch once you go to college. This is all very normal and healthy! You’re meant to grow into yourself and discover yourself. Why would so many things exist if we weren’t meant to explore them?
Understand that self exploration can be a hobby in and of itself. It teaches you new skills, can be fun, and is 100% worth investing your time and energy towards. Sometimes it feels difficult to find hobbies for some folks because, well, they don’t know themselves well enough yet. Welcome yourself to the narrative that it is okay to explore different parts of yourself.
We have both personally found self exploration as a doorway to try new things for ourselves. For example, after Elis came out as non-binary, they had fun participating in drag shows and trying out make-up. Khali enjoyed when Elis put make-up on them, too, and would dress up for nights out together. This allowed Elis to explore their masc presenting side and for Khali to try out her more femme side. Now, Khali is exploring their more masc presenting self and Elis is finding peace with their body.
Attend Classes to Explore
Taking a class can expose you to new skills, people, and means of expression. Some of us need some extra encouragement in the beginning of our exploration, so why not try out a class with a knowledgeable instructor? Even better, look out for free or discounted classes!
Use classes as opportunities for personal growth inside and out. You can enrich your relationship with yourself by embracing feelings of empowerment, humility, discomfort, and joy during a new class. Challenge your abilities and continue to discover more about yourself as you explore hobbies as an adult. Share what you learned from class with your partner, kiddo, or friend.
Below are a few examples of fun classes that may be offered near you:
- Drawing – figure/gesture drawing, doodling, perspective, abstract, etc.
- Painting
- Sculpting, ceramics, flower arranging
- Fitness – CrossFit, cycle/spin, pilates, kickboxing, etc.
- Pole dancing
- Dancing – explore different styles!
- Yoga
While living in Bellingham, Elis fell in love with yoga. After top surgery, they knew they wanted to find intentional and gentle movement to help their physical body heal. The mental health benefits of yoga caught Elis by surprise and they learned how to approach themself more gently. They spent months connecting with their scars, inside and out. Then in Seattle, Elis fell in love with pole dancing. They spent months attending classes, bonding with their body, and freeing their self-expression through movement and sensuality. Opportunities are out there – Elis was able to invest in pole classes due to the studio’s accessible discounted rate.
Explore Hobbies With Your Partner and/or Friends
There are a plethora of activities you can try with your partner and/or friends. Outdoor activities such as disc golf, picnics, or camping can bring exploration and fun during nice weather. Indoor activities like baking, game nights, music jam sessions, or watch parties can bring anyone together for the evening.
It’s worth trying new things once or twice with different people. You can also play around with hosting the activities versus attending them in someone else’s space. Just because you try something new, does not mean you are automatically setting a precedent! Enjoy the exploration of trying new things.
One of the best parts about trying new activities with others is having the opportunity to spend quality time with people you care about. Try prioritizing new activities by scheduling them ahead of time. This may look like an activity with others once a week, once a month, or a few times each year. Finding common interests and activities that others in your circle enjoy as well is a great way to bond and have fun.
Reclaim Your Childhood Interests
Did you like to finger paint as a toddler? Play with water guns? Enjoyed playing with fake food? These may sound silly, yet doing these activities as an adult can help heal your inner child and reintroduce play into your life. Many adults fall into a rhythm of work, taking care of kids, paying bills, and other tasks that may feel monotonous. It can become hard to be playful and have fun, especially if you feel like you don’t have the time to play.
With this said, it is so important to continue to dabble in play as an adult. You can practice being messy while finger painting on a canvas or a partner. Play with water guns with some friends next time you go to the beach or lake. View cooking a meal for yourself as a fun opportunity to try something new, not solely as a way to nourish your body. Have fun, be messy, explore movement, enjoy yourself.
Reflect – Why are you searching for hobbies as an adult?
Why are you looking into exploring an interest, passion, or hobby now? How do resources, such as time and money, impact your situation? Are feelings of insecurity or fear of failure coming up? Do you fear that it will be a waste of your time if you don’t make money from something you create? We hear you! Sitting with questions like these may feel uncomfortable, and that’s totally valid. Holding space for yourself to feel your feelings and meeting yourself with grace along the way help us to feel less overwhelmed.
Reframing how you interact with your hobbies as an adult may be a way of bringing back joy in those activities. For example, let’s say you previously enjoyed something but felt discouraged in the past from someone’s negative opinion or critique. You stopped the activity because you didn’t think you were ‘good enough’. You can look at your joy within that activity in (at least) two lenses: imagine how amazing you’d be now if you had continued; or imagine how much joy you could feel right now if you tried that activity again for yourself.
Some people were taught that their hobbies were only good if they, themselves, were good at them. This connects our self worth to an activity that was meant to bring us joy. Being “good” at something is subjective. Meaning, just because a person from your past negatively critiqued you does not mean that other people won’t feel inspired by your content, creativity, or story. We all have something to say, convey, or show. It’s hard to admit it, but oftentimes we, ourselves, are our worst critics.
Conclusion
Hobbies, passions, and interests are meant to be enjoyable in your spare time. You don’t have to profit off of anything for it to be “worth your time”. Allow yourself to have fun exploring new things and share those new experiences with others. Don’t be afraid to try new things or start up things you haven’t done in ages. Finding hobbies as an adult can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! Try not to be hard on yourself and allow mistakes to happen. Play more, explore, and enjoy the journey.
